


Let Me (Get What I Want)

by LureSanta



Category: As the World Turns
Genre: Jealousy, Lure Santa Exchange 2010, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-12-24
Updated: 2010-12-24
Packaged: 2017-10-14 01:50:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 12,484
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/144030
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LureSanta/pseuds/LureSanta
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Gift for sripley, created by gradgirl_07 - Posted December 24</p><p><i>“What’s going on with you and Luke Snyder?”</i></p>
            </blockquote>





	Let Me (Get What I Want)

**Part One**

Reid tried to ignore the warm palm pressed between his shoulder blades. He wondered if Mr. Snyder— _Luke_ —realized he was touching Reid. The younger man had just reminded Reid that even if the Texas Medical Review Board took away Reid’s license permanently, the doctor was still an urban cowboy. It was a joke and a little silly, but the tension Reid had been carrying around with him disappeared.

From the moment, Luke waltzed into the locker room at the hospital and announced that he was accompanying Reid to Dallas, the doctor couldn’t deny that the younger man wasn’t completely useless. Each moment he felt like he was getting closer to Luke, that despite all his walls and his distance, the charming young man wormed his way in closer: demanding that Reid call him Luke, admitting that he cared, the warm palm on his back.

 **Noah Mayer.**

Reid had to remind himself, though, that Noah Mayer was the reason why all of this was taking place. Luke had demanded this hearing, forced him to come to Oakdale, all because of Noah. He’d seen his young patient out on a date and they had broken up, but what did that matter when it came to Luke and Noah? He’d heard the stories, the gossip. Katie was a wealth of information about the couple’s history. He knew more than he had wanted, but he found some perverse pleasure out of hearing about it. Reid would try to justify it as a way to get information he could use against Luke.

All he heard about was kidney transplants, temporary paralysis, and psycho fathers. And with each story, it made him want Mr. Snyder more.

With a shake of his head, Reid quickly called the board. None of that mattered right now. He was about to find whether or not he would still be able to practice medicine.

The call connected and the lead pompous jackass was greeting him, telling him the board’s decision.

Once he heard the words, _You’re reinstated._ He finally felt like he could breathe again. The voice went on something about keeping the investigation open, but they didn’t think he was guilty either. Finally, the conversation was over with.

Reid shut off his phone and let out a breath.

“Well?”

He turned to see Luke. The blonde was both hopeful and anxious. He never could hide everything he was thinking.

“I’ve been reinstated,” Reid murmured. He could barely hear his own voice. He was one step closer to achieving the goal he had in coming to Oakdale: Noah’s surgery. He knew once it was done the ridiculous reason Luke and Noah had broken up _this time_ would disappear and Luke would go running back to his patient.

Reid needed to accept that and while a part of him wanted more than anything to take Luke’s face in his hands and press his lips to the young man’s, he knew it would be an act of futility. There was no way Luke could possibly feel the same way, and it was time that the older man realized that and moved on.

“What?” the blonde gasped.

And Reid was pulled out of his thoughts. “I’ve been reinstated,” he said coolly. “They are keeping the investigation open, but they don’t think I’m guilty.”

Before he knew it, Reid was being propelled into Luke’s arms. The young man wrapped his left arm around Reid’s waist and his right arm wrapped around his shoulders, their bodies were pressed together. Somehow, Luke’s right leg was resting between both of the doctor’s

“Reid, this is amazing.” The young man’s hot breath hit Reid’s ear and the redhead closed his eyes. Luke’s hands moved, his left one opened a little and then gripped against Reid’s hip, and the right one slid down, following the ridges of the doctor’s spine.

The doctor moved, a shudder went through his body, but then he realized it was Luke who had shuddered and the breath against Reid’s ear was hitched, a gentle pant. They stood for a moment Reid not certain what he was supposed to do and refusing to give in to his desire to tug on those blonde locks and pull his head toward him, capturing Luke’s mouth with his own.

Noah Mayer.

Reid moved, escaping out of Luke’s arms. It was just a moment, he reminded himself, Luke had years with Noah and that’s what the young man wanted.

“Dr. Oliver…” the blonde sputtered. “I, uh, that’s great.” He took a deep breath. “I’m sorry if I over-stepped—”

Reid let out a bark of laughter and Luke leaned back, crossing his arms over his chest, and his lips formed a soft pout.

“What?” Luke demanded.

“You have been over-stepping since the first dozen phone calls you made to my office.”

“I meant by calling you Reid.”

“I hadn’t noticed,” the redhead lied.

The younger man’s hands fell to his sides. He’d thought that he wasn’t alone, that maybe the doctor was feeling… _It didn’t matter what Dr. Oliver thought_ , Luke realized. He hated Luke and despite everything that Luke had done, getting him the money for the new wing, making sure everything Dr. Oliver wanted was going to be put into place, this hearing, it didn’t matter. Luke felt like such an idiot.

“Right,” Luke muttered. He started moving around the hotel room, making sure he had everything together, throwing some money on the dresser for a tip.

Reid stood back, watching the blonde move around as though the devil was at his heels.

Finally, Luke swung open the door of the hotel room. “Let’s go.”

“Excuse me?”

“You’re reinstated, right?” Luke questioned. His voice was a little shaky, and he hated that Dr. Oliver always made him lose control.

“Yes,” the doctor replied slowly, but he didn’t move from his spot.

“Then we’re leaving. We’ll stop by your place and head to the airport,” the blonde said. He didn’t wait for a response but simply walked out of the room.

Reid realized it was for the best. Whatever he was feeling for Luke was definitely not reciprocated and it was time he went back to focusing on his work. Getting caught up in the whirlwind that Luke Snyder brought to his life: bad dads, blackmail schemes, mechanical bulls. It was time to move past all of that.

“Let’s go!” Luke’s voice called from the hallway.

The doctor went over to the mini bar, grabbed a couple of bags of chips, and left the hotel room.

*

Reid didn’t realize that Mr. Snyder could actually be quiet. He felt the young man had some sort of biological deficiency in which he could not remain silent for more than a minute at a time. And yet, the entire ride to the airport, Luke barely said anything. He made a few phone calls, made sure the plane was ready, calling “mommy” to check on his foundation, even a few moments talking to whom Reid assumed was one of his siblings because there was talk of fishing and a play date.

A few words passed, directions from Luke, as though Reid had never been in the Dallas-Fort Worth airport before. But nothing of substance was spoken. The doctor hadn’t realized how quickly he had grown accustomed to the inane nonsense that came out of Luke Snyder’s mouth. He hesitated for a moment, realizing that nothing Luke ever said was nonsense. The young man talked about Noah, the importance of his surgery, bad dad, good dad, even insights into who Reid was—that part got under Reid’s skin the most. He liked to be cold, clinical, and distant. He didn’t like to talk about his feelings or get close to people. Then Luke Snyder barreled into his life, demanding Reid’s skills and attention. More than that, every barrier that Reid put up, the young man demolished. It started with smirks and rolled eyes, moving on to shoving and then…

 _“I think you feel that you deserved that punch.”_

With a shake of his head, Reid tried to shut down his thoughts. They’d been on the plane just over two hours. They would be landing in Oakdale soon. The doctor wasn’t sure when he’d see Luke again, and why that was disappointing to him, he refused to acknowledge. Noah’s surgery would be taking place soon. The Snyder Pavilion would be built, but he couldn’t help but wonder if it was going to be put on hold while Luke focused all of that attention on Noah Mayer. With that, Reid’s attention was once again focused on Luke Snyder.

There was no escaping him and maybe Reid didn’t want to, but he knew he had to.

*

A few days back in Oakdale and Reid was surprised to realize that this ridiculous town was feeling more like his home than the last six years he spent in Dallas. When he got back home, Katie and the kid where there to greet him. They ordered a pizza, and he talked about the hearing. She asked pointed questions about Luke, but Reid deflected them. He was actually grateful to receive an emergency page and had to leave. He knew his roommate cared or she was so lonely that she needed something to focus on, but Reid wasn’t feeling generous enough to indulge in her new project.

He even managed to avoid Luke Snyder. Reid didn’t think of the young man too often. Every time he did, it was twined with Noah Mayer, and the doctor found it was helpful. He could ignore whatever feelings that weren’t annoyance or disdain for Mr. Snyder. As long as Noah Mayer was in the young man’s life, Reid didn’t stand a chance. Now it was time to get back to work, to focus on his surgeries, build a new wing, and forget about arguments and elevators and mechanical bulls.

Walking toward the nurses’ station, Reid heard laughter and a voice he hadn’t heard before. He perked up slightly, seeing a couple of trays of food. He quickly filed through some of the emails he deleted recently. He hadn’t been notified of someone’s birthday or a party. Then he realized what it was: drug rep. They’d come in with samples and expensive suits, pens to give away and the good ones brought food. Nurses and doctors work extremely long hours, some live in the hospital for days at time. The food there was okay, but mostly it was what people were used to.

While Reid appreciated the food, he was never persuaded one way or another to recommend a drug to a patient based upon some salesman. He read the medical journals. He had a photographic memory, and he knew which ones to give to his patients. If it happened to be one that a rep came by with, then so be it.

A couple of nurses saw him coming and quickly dispersed, and that’s when Reid saw him. He was a tall man, probably a couple of inches taller than Reid, with light brown hair. The man turned to him with an easy grin, and Reid noticed the rep’s pale gray eyes. The doctor actually hesitated for a moment. The guy was attractive, but more than that, Reid felt an attraction to him. He normally ignored the drug reps, finding them overtly perky and talkative (shades of Mr. Snyder), but before Reid realized it, his feet were moving him in the direction of the nurses’ station. He told himself it was the food, and maybe he was attracted to the guy, it had been awhile since his last “relationship.”

“Hello Dr. Oliver,” one of the nurses greeted him. Her voice was shaky, and she skittered away as though she had a sudden aversion to light or free food.

Reid couldn’t remember the nurse’s name and since she disappeared quickly, he didn’t care either.

“Reid Oliver?” the man came forward. He walked with confidence, his hand held out for a shake.

The redhead glanced at the outstretched hand for a moment before glancing over the rep’s shoulder at the food. The man smiled to himself and moved off to the side, allowing Reid a direct path to the food.

The rep started talking, mentioning a drug he wanted to share with Reid, exuding confidence and charm. Reid wanted to dislike him, but the stir in his gut wasn’t a desire for food.

“Wesley Roberts,” the man said.

Reid, who had taken a couple of bites of food, just looked at the man for a moment.

“That’s my name,” he said.

The redhead grunted in response and went back to eating.

“As I was saying, Dr. Oliver, I wanted to talk to you about—”

Reid held up his hand. “I know all about your drug. It helps for optical tumors. I’ve read the clinical trials. Memorial will use it, you didn’t have to do all this.” He waved his hand to the spread of food and popped a couple more bites into his mouth.

“But you do appreciate it,” Wesley responded, his eyes speculative.

Reid swallowed and was momentarily at a loss for words. “Why are you here?”

Wesley chuckled briefly. “My job. I’m here to talk to you about this drug. You already seem to know all about it, but that doesn’t mean there are other doctors, who—”

Reid held up his hand again. He glanced at the man, wondering if there was some sort of off switch, but he was reminded that Mr. Snyder didn’t have one either. With a shake of his head, Reid decided to plow on. “I’m one of the best neurosurgeon’s in the country.”

“I know. I’ve also seen the news about the Snyder Pavilion.” Wesley’s gaze was still speculative, but it wasn’t the usual, _I can’t believe those words are coming out of your mouth._

“It’ll be the best in the Midwest, at least according to Mr. Snyder; I intend to make it the best in the country.”

Wesley smiled. He’d remembered reading some quotes from the young man, Luke Snyder. A few times there was a photograph and Wesley was surprised to see a trust fund baby who actually used his money to fund hospital wings and grants as opposed to new cars and supermodels. Unfortunately, there weren’t any photos of Reid Oliver, but Wesley had done his research. He’d been warned about an abrasive doctor at Memorial. Six months earlier, everyone wanted to have Memorial on their route. The doctors were good and the Chief of Staff, Bob Hughes, was kind. The sales were great. Then news came of a new doctor, a brilliant hard ass, and no one wanted to head there. Wesley wasn’t easily deterred, and he done some research on this doctor.

“Impressive,” Wesley noted.

Reid continued to chew and nodded in response. He wasn’t going to argue with that. “We’ll have state of the art equipment. The staff…” his voice trailed off as he looked around the hospital. “Well, Mr. Snyder and I will have to have a talk about that.”

Wesley noted that was the second time in as many minutes that the doctor mentioned the name of one of the major benefactors. The doctor’s voice changed slightly, but Wesley wasn’t sure what it meant exactly. “I wasn’t talking about the wing…” the brunette noted. “I was talking about the doctor who will run it.”

The doctor met Wesley’s gaze and the food he had been chewing on suddenly got lodged in his throat. Reid started to choke, and Wesley immediately reached out, patting Reid on the back. The food slid down his throat and Wesley’s hand stilled a warm palm against his back. The doctor briefly closed his eyes, reminded of Luke and a hotel room in Dallas.

“Are you okay?” Wesley checked, his voice low and his breath, a mixture of mint and coffee, brushed against Reid’s cheek.

He turned, his gaze locked with the brunette. The attraction that Reid felt enveloped him, and there was a warm tug on his gut.

“I’m fine,” Reid muttered. “But you need to learn the Heimlich maneuver.”

Wesley chuckled and his hand moved a couple of inches down Reid’s back, not giving any indication of letting go. “I thought maybe I should buy you dinner before I get my arms around you. Although…” his voice trailed off and there was heat in his gaze.

“I get off work at six,” the redhead responded. The words slipped out so easily, neither man knew who was more surprised.

Wesley finally let go of Reid. He pulled a card out of his wallet, and he took one of the bright colored pens with the name of the drug scrolled across it. Wesley scribbled his number on the card and handed it to Reid. “I’ll only accept an actual emergency if you have to cancel. Otherwise, I’ll be back at six to take you out to dinner.”

Reid nodded his head, at a loss for words again.

*

 **Part Two**

The rest of the afternoon went by in a blur of consults, patient notes, and making a few nurses cry. All in all, it was a good day. And it wasn’t over yet. A part of Reid was actually looking forward to his dinner, and it was about more than just the food. Reid knew it would be good for him to get out, focus on something other than surgery and this new wing, which both seem to be inexplicably tied to Mr. Snyder.

“Damn,” he muttered under his breath. He’d gone almost a whole hour without thinking about the young man.

“Everything all right?”

Reid turned suddenly. He was in the doctor’s lounge, taking off his lab coat, and getting ready to head out when he’d heard Luke’s voice.

“This is for staff only, Mr. Snyder,” he replied tersely, trying not to meet the younger man’s gaze. For once, Reid wanted to get through a day without some sort of email or meeting with Luke Snyder. Today wasn’t that day.

“I sent you an email this morning. You never responded,” the blonde noted, shoving his hands into the pocket of his pants. He stood in place, but his feet shuffled a little.

The doctor crossed his arms over his chest, and he was reminded of how young Luke was. It was surprising at the same time because the man in front of him managed to blackmail Reid and run a shipping company and a foundation. Sometimes it’s hard for Reid to imagine what Luke is doing with Noah. With a shake of his head, he moved toward the door.

“Dr. Oliver…” Luke tried when Reid didn’t respond, but he didn’t know what else to say. The other man’s name dying on the blonde’s lips. His tongue darted out, to wet his dry lips.

Reid unconsciously mirrored the action and stifled a groan. He knew the point of this date was to get past whatever it was that the young man brought out of him. Besides, Katie had this gleam in her eye whenever Luke’s name came up.

“It’s after work hours,” Reid finally responded. “I have more important things to do with my life than wait anxiously for your emails.” He moved, closing the distance, because the young man wasn’t moving.

Luke’s hands came up in surrender, and he almost placed them on the redhead’s chest. Both men stopped, their eyes met briefly. The blonde’s gaze found its way to Reid’s mouth and then his eyes. Luke’s mouth opened, his breath danced across the doctor’s face, and Reid’s eyes narrowed slightly.

“Then let me take you to dinner,” Luke offered. The words sounded a little hollow as though he wasn’t sure if they were even coming from his own mouth.

It was on the tip of Reid’s tongue to say yes, but then he remembered a cute drug rep and his plan to spend as little time with Luke as he possibly could. “No,” he said and moved. His shoulder brushed against Luke’s before he made his way towards the door.

The younger man stood frozen for a moment and then he jumped into action. He followed Reid out into the hall. “Dr. Oliver.”

The redhead let out a breath and his eyes glanced heavenward. “Mr. Snyder, I’m off duty from the hospital and you.”

“I just have a few things I need to go over,” Luke insisted. He knew Dr. Oliver would never admit it, but he felt like something had changed in Dallas. It was more than his slip and calling the older man by his first name. He was still confused about Noah, but he was tired of denying that he felt something for the doctor. He hated feeling as if he was alone, that he was attracted to Reid and the redhead didn’t feel the same way. Before Dallas, Luke would swear there were moments: laughter or looks that lasted too long. Despite Reid’s adamant, _“Nothing happened between us the other night,”_ there was something there. _Why can’t I just—_

“I have a date,” the cool voice of the doctor shut down Luke’s thoughts immediately.

The blonde’s mouth fell open and his tongue suddenly felt immobile. “D-date?”

“Yes,” Reid noted. “Remember what Noah was doing when we flew to Dallas?”

Luke’s mouth closed with a decisive clink of his teeth. He knew Reid could be abrasive but to remind him of something that was obviously hurtful to Luke was going too far. Taking a breath, Luke opened his mouth to respond.

“And here he is now,” Reid replied, seeing Wesley coming down the corridor toward them.

The redhead forced his lips to move up into a smile. He was suddenly looking more forward to this date than he had originally anticipated, and it was one of the few times he had actually made Mr. Snyder speechless.

Wesley saw Reid and his steps quickened, but when he saw the young man who was standing with his date, he hesitated for a moment. Wesley knew that was Luke Snyder. He was concerned that Reid would have to cancel, and he couldn’t help but notice the frequency in which Reid mentioned the young man.

“Hello,” Reid greeted him.

Wesley smiled in return and his gaze went from Reid to Luke. The redhead didn’t seem to be in any rush to introduce them and Luke was standing there, his mouth still open. From his brief encounter with Reid earlier, Wesley could only imagine what his date had said to the young man.

“Hi,” Wesley finally said. “I’m Wesley Roberts,” he said, offering his hand.

Luke looked at the outstretched hand for a moment. _Wesley?_ he thought with more than a little bit of distain, _did his mother read one too many romance novels when she was pregnant?_

“My date,” Reid added, and he bounced on the balls of his feet. He could tell his announcement had affected Mr. Snyder and the part of him that always acted like an eleven-year-old boy was jumping up and down as well.

It was the nudge Luke needed to respond. He returned Wesley’s shake, his grip a little firm, and he inwardly smirked at the wince on Wesley’s face. “Luke Snyder.”

“Y-yes, I know,” Wesley responded and wiggled his fingers to get the blood circulating again. “Your philanthropic efforts with the new wing are quite popular in the local paper. But really, I think they should write more about Dr. Oliver.” He looked at the redhead. “He’s quite…” Reid found himself smiling at Wesley. “Remarkable,” he finally finished his thought.

“I’m well aware of Dr. Oliver’s extensive credentials,” Luke responded. He didn’t like the way the doctor was looking at this man. However, Luke knew besides food the way to get to Reid was through stroking his ego.

“I don’t think he meant professionally, Mr. Snyder,” Reid added quietly.

Luke’s gaze widened slightly and he breathed through his nose, trying to keep the wave of nausea at bay. He felt oft-kilter, which wasn’t a new emotion around Dr. Oliver, but the idea of the older man out on a date, flirting, or worst of all, starting a relationship… Luke felt every bit of that youth Reid found so disdainful. He wanted to stamp his feet and demand that the doctor pay attention to him and not this smooth talking, **Wesley**.

“Yes, well are you free?” Wesley checked. He hadn’t received a phone call, but he had to wonder if something was going to prevent Reid from going to dinner with him.

“Let’s go,” Reid said. He started to walk away from Luke and Wesley followed. After a few feet, Reid stopped and glanced over his shoulder. “Mr. Snyder, I’ll get back to you on your ‘email’ sometime tomorrow if I’m free. I’d appreciate it if you didn’t feel the need to track me down.”

“Actually, I was here to pick up Noah after his physical therapy,” Luke replied. The lie came easy enough and a part of him hated it, but then he saw the flicker of emotion in Reid’s eyes. He stifled a smile, hoping that he was right and maybe Dr. Oliver felt it too.

But then just as soon as it was there, the doctor pivoted on his heel and walked away. His shoulder brushed against Wesley’s and they were talking, sharing a laugh. Luke watched until they disappeared around the corner, even then he stood for a few moments. Images of what the rest of the night could turn into flashed before his eyes. Feeling sick to his stomach and like he wanted to punch a wall, Luke let out a huff of air and stormed down to his car.

*

The date went better than Reid anticipated although his expectations were fairly low to begin with, but Wesley was charming. He asked Reid questions about his work, which Reid could always talk about. He didn’t seem concerned or disgusted by watching Reid eat. After dinner, there were drinks and the conversation continued to linger. Neither man was ready to call an end to the evening, and the doctor was grateful that he actually managed to get through the whole dinner without mentioning nor thinking about Luke Snyder.

“This was nice,” Wesley noted, leaning in closer. Reid wasn’t sure why; the restaurant was mostly cleared out, and he was sure the wait staff was willing them to leave.

“Yes, it was,” the doctor responded, and he leaned in closer as well. A part of him wanted to check with Wesley, see if the man wanted to take this somewhere else. But he knew he was just desperate to make sure the date continued because he honestly couldn’t remember the last time he had sex. More than that, it was as though he’d found some sort of cure. He wasn’t thinking about Luke Snyder or snarking with Luke Snyder, and he wasn’t in the presence of Luke Snyder feeling like a nervous teenager.

“I have to head out of town tomorrow,” Wesley noted. “More stops to make, but I should be back by the end of the week.” There was a hopeful tone in his voice and a leading response in his eyes.

Reid smiled, grateful that he didn’t bring up that conversation. He had Noah’s surgery in a couple of days, but by the time Wesley got back, it would be over. He’d provide the “miracle” that Luke expected. _Damn it_ , he thought. He did not want to bring Luke on this date, but the escape didn’t last long. He was back to this: wanting a man who didn’t want him, and playing out some sort of high school drama with the ex of one of his patients.

“Reid?” Wesley checked, his head tilted to the side as though trying to read the doctor’s thoughts.

“That sounds great,” he finally responded. “I have a major surgery scheduled in two days, but it should go fine. I’ll look forward to sharing my brilliance with you.”

Wesley smiled in response. “I look forward to hearing about your brilliance.” His hand reached up, gently cupping the doctor’s face in his hand. Wesley leaned over and pressed kiss to Reid’s mouth. He returned the kiss for a moment and pulled away with a smile.

*

The next few days went by quickly. Reid and Wesley shared a few flirty emails, some suggestive texts, and one phone call that ended with the promise of something more. Reid actually found himself looking forward to his communications with Wesley. They didn’t hold the snarky comebacks that his interactions with Luke did, but Reid thought that that was for the best. There was an obvious thaw between himself and Mr. Snyder, but it didn’t get him anywhere and it wasn’t going to. Maybe he wasn’t as attracted to Wesley, maybe he didn’t get as big a rush out of his encounters with Wesley, and maybe he wouldn’t ever feel a fraction of what he felt for Luke, but everything Luke did was for Noah Mayer.

Reid was reminded of that when he walked into the hospital room of his patient to find Luke sitting rather close to Noah on the bed. He tried to ignore the fact that the blonde jumped up immediately when he saw Reid.

“Ready for surgery?” the doctor asked, walking toward the bed and purposefully ignoring Luke. He picked up the chart and made some noncommittal sounds as he reviewed it, and Noah expressed his excitement.

“Well, the nurse will be back soon to prep you.” Reid’s gaze finally met Luke’s. The blonde offered a shy smile and bit his lip. “Maybe you should not be here,” the redhead said. “Let the medical professionals actually do their work.” He pivoted on his heel, but he heard Luke’s strangled response.

Luke quickly followed Dr. Oliver out into the hall. “Are you ready?” he called after the doctor.

Letting out a breath, he realized this was the last thing he needed before surgery: another encounter with Luke Snyder.

“Excuse me?” the redhead asked, crossing his arms and walking up to Luke. “I’m the miracle doctor, right? You **blackmailed** me and have been hounding me since I got to town to do this surgery. Now you’re questioning me.”

The blonde stumbled back a little, somehow the coldness in Reid’s voice felt as though it held a more personal tone. There were insults and shoving, but lately, it felt like a tease, a way to get under the skin of the other person and in Dallas… He sighed, feeling so guilty. He was less than an hour away from Noah having the surgery to restore his eyesight, and he was thinking about how much he had wanted to kiss Dr. Oliver in Dallas.

“You’ve been ignoring my phone calls and emails for days. I was just wondering… How are you doing?”

“It’s called working, Mr. Snyder. I don’t have time to respond to your requests for furniture upholstery.”

“That wasn’t—”

The rest of Luke’s sentence was cut off by the sound of a cell phone buzzing at Reid’s hip. The doctor spared an angry glare at Luke before checking his phone. The change in his face was instantaneous and the blonde tried not to notice. Reid smiled before quickly typing a response and putting his phone back.

“As I was saying, Mr. Snyder—”

The blonde couldn’t help but ask, “Was that **Wesley**?” He practically hissed the man’s name.

Reid wouldn’t allow himself to believe that Luke was actually jealous, and he especially wouldn’t acknowledge the gentle thrill at that thought either. “Mr. Snyder.”

Luke shook his head in disgust and walked back into Noah’s room. He couldn’t believe the man who lived at the hospital was… He couldn’t finish that thought. He plastered a smile on his face, even though Noah couldn’t see it.

*

Luke wasn’t able to spend too much time with Noah, and he tried to ignore all the nervousness he felt. He was anxious for Noah’s surgery. A part of him knew that if Noah could finally, **finally** get his eyesight back, then maybe it would be time for Luke to let go as well. He’d be able to stop feeling guilty about the accident. And maybe Noah would finally forgive him as well. Luke was also nervous for Dr. Oliver. He wanted the surgery to go well for Reid because he knew how much the doctor cared for his patients and demanded perfection of himself. There was so much riding on this surgery, and the last thing he wanted to think about was some guy distracting Dr. Oliver when… When…

 _When I want to be the one distracting him._

The blonde, who had been pacing the halls, stopped abruptly at that thought. Of course, it had been simmering under the surface for awhile, flaring up occasionally: the day they were stuck in that elevator, listening to Dr. Oliver talk about Annie Judd, and holding the doctor after they’d heard the news from the board.

*

Reid slowly walked down the hall. The surgery had gone unexpectedly, and the last thing he wanted was to face Luke. It wasn’t the fact that there were complications. That could come about from any surgery. But Luke wanted… He had failed Luke and somehow that felt worse than if he had failed himself.

And then Reid was there. Standing in front of Luke, trying to explain the surgery, watching the hope die in the younger man’s face. Feeling him push against him, seeing Luke’s parents appear and try to pull him away. But the damage was done. Reid had failed Luke and there was no turning back. The doctor wanted to offer an apology, but he couldn’t. He would be left facing a lawsuit and putting the hospital in jeopardy. His left hand twitched against his leg, desperate to reach out, pull Luke close and hold him. He’d even let the younger man hit him, to help him let go of all of his pain.

But he couldn’t.

Going back to the doctor’s lounge, Reid quickly threw off his coat. As much as he wanted a hot shower and a meal, he wanted to go back and get Noah’s X-rays, review the case file, find what he had missed. He couldn’t go back and change what he had done. The surgery could still be a success; they wouldn’t know anything for certain until Noah woke up, but they had to keep him sedated because of the trauma of the surgery. He paced a little around the room, debating his next move, fighting what he wanted against what he could do. Reid felt as though his skin was too tight, and if he could just keep moving, the answer would come.

“Tell me what happened.”

The doctor stopped suddenly and turned toward the voice. Despite their numerous encounters, he had never heard Luke’s voice as it was now. There was anger and annoyance but the hopelessness wasn’t usually there.

“Luke,” he whispered.

The young man’s mouth opened slightly. He’d wanted this. He’d asked Dr. Oliver to call him by his first name. He never expected it to come out this way.

“What did you do?” Luke whispered, ignoring the fact that despite everything, he wanted to hear the redhead call him by his first name again. Pushing away what he felt for the doctor because it was too painful, too uncertain, too everything, Luke decided to focus on Noah and his own need for answers.

“My job,” Reid responded defensively. He was questioning everything he had done; he wasn’t about to let Luke do it as well.

“No,” the younger man whispered with a shake of his head. And he walked toward the doctor. “If you had done your job, you wouldn’t have come to me with ‘complications.’”

“It was a difficult surgery. There were risks. There are risks with every surgery.”

“No.”

“Stop saying that!” Reid demanded. Somehow, the young man had become his guilty conscious. “Everyone knew the chances and despite all of that you tried to bribe and blackmail me into getting here. I did my job. It wasn’t perfect, but—”

“But you’re always perfect!” Luke shouted in response, and he pushed against the doctor. Reid stood his ground, taking the shove. “You’ve been telling me since we met how damn perfect you are! Why did you fail?”

“I didn’t fail,” Reid insisted, although even he doubted that. “I did what you wanted! I have let you push me around. I have listened to you talk about this great love you have. I have done all that you asked of me. You want me to call you Luke now? What next? How many hoops do you expect me to jump through?”

Luke shook his head. He couldn’t make this about him. He couldn’t. He’d allowed himself to think about Dr. Oliver, and to feel… He’d betrayed Noah. “Is this my fault? Did you… Do you hate me that much that you would…”

Reid held up his hand in warning. “Stop right there,” he insisted. “Noah is alive. He will wake up soon and we will know more.”

The room was close and the air felt thick as though the bubble of their own fears and disappointment kept bumping up against each other. Luke’s feet moved, scrapping against the floor as he sat down on one of the benches. He felt as though he’d run a marathon. His emotions had been all over the place for so long, and he couldn’t take it in any more: the guilt over Noah’s accident, the desire to be with Noah, the affection he felt for Dr. Oliver, the anger he had at himself for not doing more, the fear of wanting someone other than Noah, and the man that he did want could care less.

Reid watched Luke. The redhead’s chest pounded, his breathing difficult. Every question Luke had, Reid had as well, and he hated that **Luke** of all people was doubting him. The reminder that he had failed Luke was too much.

“Do you hate me?” the blonde whispered, his voice hoarse, too many clogged tears straining his vocal chords.

Almost of their own accord, the doctor’s feet moved. He swung one leg over the bench. Luke watched the movement and was reminded of watching the redhead mount the mechanical bull in Dallas. He swallowed, angry that he felt a flush of desire just as he had that day. Reid moved with care, sliding toward Luke, his knee grazing Luke’s thigh. The blonde’s gaze was on the floor in front of him, but he felt the heat from Reid’s body.

“Hate you?” the redhead whispered. “How could you ask me that? You love Noah. You’ve made that abundantly clear from the moment we met. Why would I ever want to harm him or you?”

Luke wiped his nose with his sleeve, feeling the tears come quickly. He turned slightly, his thigh rubbed against Reid’s knee, the brush of jeans meeting hospital scrubs sounded loud in the doctor’s lounge. “I blackmailed you. You’re always so cold.”

Reid let out a breath. “I still don’t know how you could ask me… You love Noah. I tried to fix him…” He briefly closed his eyes, seeing Luke hurting was almost too much. “For you.”

The younger man turned suddenly, his knees knocking into Reid’s, and both men were unbalanced for a moment. Reid reached out for Luke, his hands gripping the younger man’s forearms. Their eyes met, and the redhead wanted to turn away. The pain shimmering in Luke’s brown eyes was too much.

“Why?” the young man whispered.

Before Reid could answer, the door to the doctor’s lounge swung open. “Reid, are you…” Wesley’s voice trailed off. He and Reid had had plans for dinner. He’d run into one of the nurses who told him where he could find Reid, and the last thing he expected was to see his dinner date holding a very distraught Luke Snyder. Wesley’s stomach clenched, worried about how Reid’s surgery had gone.

Both men jumped, out of guilt or panic, or maybe they felt that was the natural thing to do. Their individual bubbles of fear and disappointment had somehow meshed together. Wesley’s appearance had crushed their protective barrier, and they were once again vulnerable. Reid moved quickly, standing up. He looked at Wesley and opened his mouth, ready to offer some apology; he wasn’t ready to leave Luke yet. But then Reid turned and it was as though there were shutters over Luke’s eyes. The younger man stood up and brushed past both men.

“You don’t have to say anything,” Wesley instructed. “Let’s get out of here.”

“Wesley, I would be terrible company right now,” he replied.

“You’re going to turn down food?” Wesley checked. “I may not know you very well, but the second email you sent to me was three pages detailing your lunch.”

Despite himself, Reid smiled. “Give me ten minutes. I need a quick shower and a change of clothes.”

“I’ll be outside.”

*

 **Part Three**

Reid was terrible company at dinner, but Wesley pretended not to notice. He talked about anything but the surgery, and Wesley didn’t ask about what he had walked in on between Reid and Luke Snyder.

After leaving the doctor’s lounge, Luke went back to Noah’s room. He needed to stay with his ex-boyfriend. There had been brief glimpses of something beyond him and Noah, the moments when he selfishly thought of wanting something more from Dr. Oliver than to fix Noah. He was worried about Noah and yet when Dr. Oliver had touched him and called him Luke, the last thing the blonde thought about was his ex. Then **Wesley** had walked in, and as much as the blonde wanted to yell at the man to go away, he was still grateful.

Luke had lost his focus, and he wanted to make up for it. So he barely left Noah’s room. He knew when Reid made his rounds, and he made himself scarce, not wanting to run into the doctor. Reid seemed to return the favor.

The doctor reviewed his case notes, constantly re-checking all of Noah’s tests. Most of all, he tried to focus on Wesley, the emails and texts continued. For some reason the idea of this guy, the random emails and meaningless dinners were exactly what Reid needed. He couldn’t close his eyes without seeing Luke’s sad eyes. The moments when he wasn’t working or in contact with Wesley, Reid could hear the pain in Luke’s voice as he had asked Reid if the doctor hated him.

*

Forty-eight hours later, Noah woke up. Luke had been talking, nonsense about the new films that were opening that week, promising Noah that as soon as he got out of the hospital, they would go.

“You hate foreign films,” Noah’s voice floated through the room. It was thick and scratchy.

Luke sat perfectly still as though it was a hallucination and if he moved, reality would come crashing down. He didn’t know what he would do then.

“Luke…” Noah moved, his head turning in the direction of Luke’s voice. His eyes were closed, the natural inclination to move toward Luke’s voice even if he couldn’t see him.

The blonde jumped from his chair and leaned over Noah. “H-how are you? I should go get Dr. Oliver.”

“Wait,” Noah said, his grip tightening. “I want…” He took a breath, his mouth feeling dry. And finally, the brunette’s eyes slide open. He blinked rapidly and wanted to close them against the harsh florescent light. “Light,” he murmured.

Luke’s mouth fell open. “Noah, can-can you see?”

He turned and slowly his eyes opened and focused on Luke. “Those are the eyes I’ve been waiting to see,” he murmured.

The blonde smiled, a chuckle bubbling out of his throat. “You can see?”

“Yes,” Noah answered. “Everything. After all this time… Thank you.”

Luke hastily shook his head. “It wasn’t me, it was…”

Before he could finish that thought, the door opened. Luke turned, his gaze meeting Dr. Oliver’s. It was the first time they had seen each other since the night of Noah’s surgery. A smile split open Luke’s face, and he couldn’t be sure if it was gratitude for Noah’s vision or he had missed seeing the doctor. Reid hesitated for a moment, his own gaze locked only on Luke’s.

“Dr. Oliver!” Noah called out, and the redhead jumped.

“Yes, Noah,” he said and then paused for a moment. “Noah.” He quickly moved toward the bed, brushing past Luke, his shoulder briefly grazing the blonde’s chest.

“Hi, Dr. Oliver,” the brunette greeted him. “You’re actually younger than I expected.”

“You can see,” the redhead deduced incredulously. “I need to examine you,” he said and turned back to Luke, but the blonde had already slipped out the door.

*

Several minutes later, Reid walked out into the hall. He was surprised to see Luke wasn’t there, but he wondered if the young man went to call his parents. They were at the hospital almost as much as Luke was. For the first time in a few days, Reid felt like he could breathe again. The surgery was a success. Noah’s vision was almost as good as new. He could see clearly, nothing was distorted, and most of all, there did not appear to be any complications. Reid would be able to release his patient in just a few days… _to return to Luke._

That last thought made the doctor’s good mood fade, but he refused to dwell on it. He had done his job. Except for meetings, Reid wouldn’t need to see Mr. Snyder any longer. He let out a breath and decided to give Wesley a call, see if he was free for dinner.

Walking into his office, though, the idea disappeared. “Mr. Snyder.”

Luke was perched so he was leaning against Reid’s desk. He offered that smile again, the one full of hope and joy. He’d only seen it once before, but Reid knew he could love that smile.

“Hi,” he started with instead of asking why he couldn’t be called Luke again.

“I-I thought you’d want to be with Noah,” Reid commented.

Luke slowly stood up. “I will, I just… There were some things I need to say to you.” He quickly closed the distance between them, but he didn’t have to go far. The office was small, but more than that, Reid found himself moving closer to Luke as well.

“You—” The doctor shook his head. There was something about Luke Snyder that made him feel so many things. Right now, he felt nervous and unsure. He was certain that Luke would never leave Noah’s side. “I thought you would be celebrating with Mr. Mayer.”

The blonde’s head tilted slightly to the right, and he worried his bottom lip. The doctor’s gaze was drawn to Luke’s mouth, and not for the first time, he wondered what those lips tasted like.

“Dr. Oliver,” Luke finally said. “I…” He shook his head and suddenly smiled. “Why is it that I’m having so many problems telling you…”

Reid couldn’t say anything himself. A part of him wanted Luke Snyder to be completely out of his life. He felt too much around the young man. Outside of his work and chess, Reid didn’t have strong feelings about anything. A part of him hated the young man for that. But then he’d see the nervous, impish smile and the light in Luke’s eyes when he looked at Reid. He’d seen the look before, patient’s family members who were grateful for saving a loved one’s life or doing the impossible. He knew whatever Luke was about to say was going to be all about Noah, _just like everything in Luke’s life._

All of sudden, Reid was propelled forward again, straight into Luke. The blonde’s arms were vise-like around Reid’s body, and Luke rested his chin on Reid’s shoulder.

“Thank you,” the young man whispered, his breath warm against Reid’s ear, and the doctor shivered slightly. “You’re as amazing as you always tell me you are.”

Despite himself, the doctor smiled and his hands came up slowly. He tried to pat Luke on the back, but the young man’s grip was so tight that once the doctor was able to get his arms up he found he could only rest them against Luke’s back. The young man shuddered and Reid’s heart started to pound. He attributed it to the close proximity and his claustrophobia.

“And when I think,” Luke continued to whisper these words into Reid’s ear. Maybe he wasn’t ready to look at the doctor, but Luke realized that he felt even more vulnerable sharing his thoughts this way and yet he couldn’t pull away either. “I’m so sorry for… I never should have… Reid…”

The doctor pulled away suddenly, and the younger man stumbled a little feeling so lost.

“Mr. Snyder, I don’t want to hear it,” he insisted.

Luke wasn’t sure what he had done now. For every step he thought he was taking toward getting to know Dr. Oliver and breaking down the distance between them, something would happen and he’d felt further away from Reid than ever before. He wouldn’t allow himself to wonder why it was so important.

“Dr. Oliver...” The blonde took a deep breath and straightened his back. He decided to try a different tactic. “How are things with… Wesley?” he asked. He still couldn’t stop himself from adding a hiss to the name of the man who Reid had been seeing.

The doctor’s eyes flashed for a moment. “Do you really want to know?”

“No,” Luke admitted. It was as though Dr. Oliver had slipped him a truth serum. The younger man couldn’t not be honest with Reid, even when it was awkward or hurtful like when he had asked Dr. Oliver if he hated Luke.

Reid wasn’t sure what to do with that information. He hated feeling so unnerved around the young man, and Luke had actually reminded Reid of Wesley. He might not feel for Wesley what he felt for Luke, but in a way Reid was grateful. He was glad to be in an adult relationship because every time he was around Luke Snyder, he felt like a babbling teenager. Reid didn’t want to be that guy.

“You should go, Mr. Snyder.”

“Dr. Oliver.”

He shook his head. “Noah’s vision is restored. What more do you want? Your boyfriend’s waiting.” He walked around Luke and went over to his desk. He needed to catch up on some work.

“He’s not my boyfriend!” The blonde’s words were so insistent that Reid found himself looking at Luke.

“That’s none of my business,” Reid finally answered.

 _“Isn’t it?”_ Luke was dying to ask.

“We’re not friends, Mr. Snyder. You said what you came to say, and I have work to do. Good-bye.”

The blonde opened his mouth, dying to ask if Reid meant for good, but he knew that was ridiculous. They still had the Snyder Pavilion, and Luke was on the board. They would continue to be a part of each other’s lives. He smiled gently to himself.

“Mr. Snyder—”

“I’m leaving,” he replied. “I just…”

“I did my job, Mr. Snyder.”

“There’s just one thing.”

Reid had picked up a file and slammed it down on his desk. “What?” he demanded.

Luke found himself smiling at the redhead’s response. He was getting to the doctor, which was good, because he had one more button to push. “You can hide behind Mr. Snyder all you want, but I’ve heard you call me Luke. And maybe we’re not friends, but I know I mean something to you.” His smile deepened and he breezed out of the doctor’s office. He leaned against the door as soon as he closed it. Luke felt his heart pounding in his chest. “Because you mean something to me,” he whispered.

*

 **Part Four**

Reid spent the next month avoiding Luke at all costs. Noah was released from the hospital soon after Luke’s visit to his office. And Reid continued to check on Noah after Luke left. The blonde emailed Dr. Oliver notes about the new wing, architecture plans, offers to meet, but Reid always responded in his usual brusque manner, never offering to meet, even ignoring any of Luke’s overtures.

Luke tried to ignore his hurt feelings, but it weighed heavily on him. So much so, that he didn’t realize when Noah was attempting to reconcile with him. When Luke finally realized that Noah was asking for a second chance, the blonde told him no. He couldn’t be sure who was more surprised by Luke’s response. Luke thought that everything in his life was leading him back towards Noah, but since the moment Dr. Oliver looked with utter distain at his outstretched hand, the pull towards Noah was loosening. Now it felt so lax that Luke couldn’t automatically say yes when Noah asked for a second chance.

Luke and Noah talked constantly it seemed, but in the end, Luke couldn’t give Noah the answer he wanted. And after every encounter, Luke went back to relentlessly checking his email and calling Dr. Oliver’s office. The phone calls were never returned, and the emails were sporadic.

For some reason Luke didn’t want to name that hurt more than the official break up with Noah.

Whenever Wesley was available, he and Reid got together (baring any emergencies). Reid found himself looking forward to seeing Wesley. It wasn’t complicated, and it didn’t make him feel like an adolescent. After another insistent message from Mr. Snyder, Reid automatically found himself sending a text to Wesley or calling or emailing him. The redhead wouldn’t acknowledge that he was escaping into this new relationship.

Reid’s email pinged just as he was about to head out for dinner with Wesley. He glanced at the screen, another message from Luke. He read through the message another plead to meet, some questions about the equipment Reid was requesting. Luke was trying to figure out what it was going to be used for. Reid was half-tempted to shoot an email back, telling him Reid wasn’t his personal Google and to figure it out on his own.

But there was a knock on his door. Wesley popped his head around the corner. “Ready?” he greeted the doctor.

Reid glanced up from his computer and decided Luke could wait. “Yes,” he replied.

Within a half-hour, they were seated at the Lakeview. They’d just placed their order. Wesley asked Reid about his day. The redhead was tempted to roll his eyes because he hated small talk. But he did have a pretty successful surgery and he wanted to brag. Looking up, Reid’s first sentence died on his lips.

Luke had walked into the Lakeview. He was talking animatedly to an attractive blonde. The guy was a slightly taller than Luke. Reid couldn’t see what color his eyes were, but he immediately felt himself straighten further in the chair. Luke laughed, and Reid knew it was one of his self-conscious laughs. When Luke said something to try and impress you but isn’t sure if you’re impressed or not, so then laughs in case you’re not impressed.

Reid leaned back slightly his gaze following Luke, trying to catch every little movement, decide what was going on between Luke and this man. The man looked vaguely familiar, but Reid couldn’t place where he’d seen him. A few minutes passed and Luke glanced in Reid’s direction. The blonde’s eyes widened slightly. He smiled and ducked his head before his gaze met Reid’s again.

“Reid,” Wesley said.

The doctor pulled his gaze away from Luke. “Yeah,” he said distractedly.

Wesley glanced over his shoulder and saw Luke and the man he was with head over to a table. From the first day they met, Wesley noted the way Reid mentioned Luke’s name. He had suspected something then, but he pushed it aside. But there were other things, times when he’d seen the two men together the emails that mentioned the ten annoying things Mr. Snyder had done that day. And then there was the look in Reid’s eyes. He’d never seen the redhead look at him that way.

“What?” Reid asked.

Wesley hadn’t said anything for a few moments while everything clarified itself in his mind. “What’s going on with you and Luke Snyder?” he asked.

Reid opened his mouth to respond, but he was offended. “Excuse me? I’m here with you, aren’t I?”

“No, you’re not,” Wesley countered. “You’re staring at Mr. Snyder and please don’t insult me. Every time we talk or get together, I actually time how long before you mention his name. If I’m lucky, it’s five minutes. I feel like I’m dating you and Luke Snyder.”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Reid countered. “Mr. Snyder is…”

“The reason we haven’t slept together yet,” Wesley noted. He didn’t expect them to jump into a relationship, but he thought after the first night they were leading toward something. Now, he realized he was just some sort of distraction and even that wasn’t enough for Reid.

“That’s not true,” Reid countered. “Mr. Snyder and I work together, that’s it. I’ve been busy, but…” He let out a sigh and pulled a key card out of his pocket and placed it on the table in front of him. “I thought tonight would be different. That’s why I chose the Lakeview.”

Luke, who had been meeting with Matt, the architect designing the Snyder Pavilion, had also been constantly keeping an eye on Reid’s table. He felt a wave of nausea when he saw Reid pull out the room card. He recognized it immediately. He tried to pay attention to Matt, but his gaze was drawn to the card. Finally, Matt realized that his client wasn’t going to offer any more input. He’d met Dr. Oliver a few times and knew that no matter what Luke and he decided, it would have to pass Dr. Oliver’s approval.

“Luke, why don’t I make the changes and get in touch with you and Dr. Oliver later in the week?” he finally suggested.

The young man pulled his gaze away from the doctor’s table and offered a distracted agreement.

“You got us a hotel room,” Wesley said quietly.

Reid nodded in response. “I live with a woman and a six-month-old. Not exactly private.” He couldn’t help himself, and he looked over at Luke again. Reid noticed that Luke’s dinner companion was standing up and placed a hand on Luke’s shoulder. The blonde looked up at him and smiled.

Wesley was still tracking Reid’s movements. He didn’t have to look over his shoulder to realize where the redhead’s attention had disappeared to again.

“Are you sure you got that room for us?” Wesley questioned.

Reid’s gaze narrowed slightly. “If you think Mr. Snyder is **sleeping** with that guy, you’re mistaken. He is all about Noah Mayer.” He didn’t even bother to hide the distain in his voice.

“No,” Wesley continued. “I was thinking you got that room for you and Mr. Snyder.”

Luke settled his bill and stood up. He couldn’t help but look back at Reid and Wesley. The card was still sitting on the table, mocking him. The blonde swallowed and then his gaze met Reid’s again. He wanted to go over and find out what was going on, but he knew. And he had to get out of there.

Reid still hadn’t responded to Wesley, his eyes locked on Luke, and they hadn’t been able to look away.

“I have my answer,” Wesley replied.

Reid finally looked at his date. “Wesley.”

“What? You’re sorry. I doubt it. I’m not sure if you’re in love with him or hate him, but either way, whatever it is that’s going between you and Luke Snyder, there is something going on, and I don’t want to get in the middle of it.”

Wesley stood up. “And actually, I don’t think I stand a chance. I never did. Good-bye, Reid.” He walked out, just as the waiter came back with their food.

The waiter noticed Wesley leaving and asked Reid if he wanted to take the other meal away. Reid snapped no before ordering a drink. He looked at the room key card and decided he’d eat and maybe drink himself into oblivion. He was a little hurt by Wesley’s exit, but mostly he was upset with the fact that yet again **Mr. Snyder** had managed to insinuate himself into another part of Reid’s life.

He’d made it half-way through his own meal and about two drinks when Luke walked back into the lounge. The blonde had forgotten his phone. Luke couldn’t help himself though, he glanced back at the table. The key card was still there, but Wesley was nowhere to be seen.

“Come on, Mr. Snyder, join me!” the doctor called. The alcohol had loosened his tongue a little but not his anger.

Luke quickly went over to the table. He didn’t want to make a scene in his mother’s hotel. “Dr. Oliver,” he said quietly, sitting in the chair opposite the doctor. “Where’s your date?”

Reid took a couple more bites of food. “Do you honestly care?”

“You know I care about you,” he said, the words coming easily enough.

The doctor shook his head. “Of course you do. You care about everyone. You probably even care about that blonde dolt you were having dinner with.”

Luke tried to suppress a smile. If he didn’t know better, he might think that Dr. Oliver was jealous. He had to be certain though. “Yes, I do care about him…” he trailed off, waiting for Reid’s gaze to meet his. “Matt is the architect for the Snyder Pavilion.”

Reid swallowed thickly. “Oh.”

“Are you okay?” the blonde questioned. He couldn’t help but wonder what had happened to Wesley. He didn’t like the idea of Dr. Oliver with anyone, but he wanted him to be happy as well. At least, that’s what Luke told himself he was secretly delighted about the idea of things failing with Dr. Oliver and **Wesley**.

“I’m fine,” the doctor told him. And he knew that he was. He was a little disappointed. He had thought that he could move on from Luke and everything that he brought to Reid’s life, including wanting what he couldn’t have.

Luke leaned over the table a little. “Are you sure?” His gaze landed on the key card again. He wished Reid would put it away.

“What do you want from me, Mr. Snyder?” Reid asked instead of responding to Luke’s question.

“I guess I just want you to be happy,” he said.

Reid shook his head and reached across he table, grabbing the room key. “Do you see this?”

Luke couldn’t look at it. He’d been staring at that card since the moment Reid put it on the table.

“This was my attempt at being happy,” Reid said. “Moving past whatever this thing is between us. And it’s completely ridiculous because I’ve never even kissed you.”

The blonde’s mouth fell open, and he took a few gasps of air. They were the words he’d been wanting to hear since that day in Dallas when he had pulled the doctor into his arms and called him Reid. He didn’t think he was alone, but he wasn’t sure if the doctor would ever admit it either. It was almost a battle of wills, waiting for the first one to break, to finally be on the same page.

“Dr. Oliver…” he whispered.

“I’m not doing this anymore.”

“We haven’t done anything yet.”

The redhead’s gaze met Luke’s, and visions of what they could do, of what Reid could introduce to him came unbidden. “You have a boyfriend,” he said quietly, daring Luke to deny it.

“He’s not my boyfriend,” Luke responded, and he couldn’t keep the tired annoyance out of his voice.

“You kept vigil when he was in the hospital.”

“I never saw you.” Before Reid could reply, Luke was quick to add, “But we’re not together any more. He wanted to get back together and I said no. Noah’s got dreams of LA, and I think he’s going after them.”

“What do you have?”

“You,” Luke replied honestly. “I mean, the neuro-wing and…”

The doctor felt himself getting sucked into Luke again, and he couldn’t do this anymore. There was drama and missed opportunities and the fact that Reid hadn’t ever wanted another man as much as he wanted Luke Snyder. “I’m done, Mr. Snyder.” He stood up, threw money on the table, and grabbed his room card.

“Dr. Oliver…”

“No.”

*

Reid wasn’t sure why, but when he got to the lobby, he headed toward the elevators. He was once again reminded of that day when he and Luke had been stuck in the elevator. The blonde’s childish response and then his help. He’d already felt the thaw between them, but he could see something in Luke’s eyes. If he was honest with himself, Reid had seen it more frequently in the last couple of months, but he didn’t know what to do with that either. Then the blonde had dropped his latest bombshell, he and Noah were no longer together. Reid felt the key card in his pocket. _And I’m not seeing anyone…_

The elevator finally arrived to his floor, but a part of him wanted to go back down, see if Luke was still there. _And do what, Reid?_ he asked himself. _Have another conversation where you talk about anything but how much you want him? Noah’s out of his life but for how long? They’ll be back together within a week._

Letting out a sigh of frustration, Reid walked down the corridor to his room. After a few maddening moments with the key card, he went into the room. A part of him wanted to just go back to Katie’s. But he wasn’t sure if Luke was still in the lounge, and he wanted to avoid the young man. Reid wasn’t sure what it was exactly, but no one got under his skin as much as Luke Snyder.

A knocking on the door pulled him out of his thoughts. Reid briefly wondered if it was Wesley, and he wasn’t sure what he was going to do if that was the case.

Pulling open the door, the redhead’s mouth fell open. He had no idea why he was surprised to see Luke standing in front of him. Without saying a word, the young man rushed past Reid into the hotel room.

“Sure, Mr. Snyder, come on in,” he said sarcastically, shutting the door behind him.

“Dr. Oliver, I think we need to clear the air.”

Reid crossed his arms over his chest and his eyes narrowed slightly. He was angry, mostly with himself, but he wasn’t about to let that stop him from directing that anger to Luke instead. “Why don’t you start by telling me how you knew which room I was in?”

“My mother owns part of the hotel. I knew the guy at the desk and…”

The redhead let out a bark of laughter. “You really don’t understand the meaning of boundaries do you?” Before Luke could respond, Reid noted, “And yet, I’m not actually surprised, considering what you did to get me here.”

“When are you going to let that go?” Luke demanded.

“Blackmail, Mr. Snyder, is not something you easily forget. What did you have on me anyway? You never said.”

The blonde shoved his hands into his pockets, and suddenly he found the floor very fascinating. “I… Nothing,” he admitted. “Damian, ‘bad dad,’ suggested that I pretend to blackmail you. And I’ve been trying to make it up to you ever since.” His gaze finally met the redhead’s.

Reid swallowed thickly. “Why? Noah’s surgery was a success. He’s got his eyesight back. What do you want from me?”

“How can you act like there’s nothing between us?” he asked, and his feet started to shuffle toward Reid.

The redhead started to walk back a little, creating more distance between them. “There is nothing between us,” he lied.

Luke’s eyes flashed with pain. Reid was surprised, usually there was anger and determination, but that was missing. He pretended not to be concerned. It was for the best. He needed to keep things professional because Luke Snyder made him want and think about things he never thought about with anyone else: romantic dinners, getting to know that eccentric family of his, learning all of Luke’s secrets, and even sharing a few of his own.

“I just thought…” the blonde muttered to himself, running his fingers through his hair a few times. “Doesn’t matter does it?” he looked at Reid again. “In Dallas, I thought I saw who you were behind this cool façade of Dr. Oliver. But to you I’m just Mr. Snyder and a checkbook, right?”

“What?” Reid couldn’t ignore the hurt in Luke’s voice any more. It was time to get everything out in the open.

“It’s true, isn’t it?” Luke countered. He closed the distance between them. His eyes searching Reid’s face until the redhead met his gaze.

“Since we met, everything in your life has been about Noah. I’m just waiting for the next chapter of this great love affair.”

“It’s over,” the blonde replied. “We broke up.”

“And how many times have you done that?”

“I told you, Dr. Oliver, he’s going to LA, and I’m staying here.”

“For me? Isn’t that what you said?” Reid was daring Luke to disagree, but he was silently begging the young man not to.

“Yes. I mean, uh, for the Snyder Pavilion.”

“Why do you care what I think?”

Luke’s eyes narrowed slightly, and he shook his head. _How could such a brilliant man not see?_ Luke thought he was pretty obvious about his feelings. He could barely contain his laughter at one of Reid’s jokes. He’d respond instantly to any email or phone call. The blonde couldn’t stop looking at Reid all the time: his eyes, his mouth, but mostly his hands. Luke was fascinated by Reid’s hands, the way they felt when they’d pushed him that day in the elevator, the few times when Luke would hug him and the warm palms against his back.

“How could I not?” the blonde asked. “In Dallas—”

“Another thing about Noah,” he replied and started to take a few steps back. He didn’t turn around, but he couldn’t stay that close either.

Luke’s hand reached out and grabbed the doctor’s hand, pulling him back. Luke tugged a little too hard; Reid was propelled forward, his torso pressed against Luke’s. They stumbled back a little, their arms automatically reaching around one another, trying to find something to hold on to. Their legs intertwined, and Reid found his mouth pressed to Luke’s shoulder. The blonde shuddered or maybe Reid did, their breath coming out in hard pants. Despite his best intentions, Reid pressed another kiss to Luke’s shoulder, and the blonde’s hands came up, tangling into the curls at the base of his neck, holding Reid in place.

“Dallas was about you,” he murmured, sharing his secrets, whispering into the doctor’s ear. He wasn’t about to let this opportunity pass him by. “I know what it’s like to think that everything you have could be taken away. I wasn’t going to let that happen to you.”

Reid swallowed thickly and finally pulled away. Luke’s grasp loosened a little. They were still close, mere inches separating them.

“I care about you,” the blonde admitted, his gaze once again finding its way to Reid’s mouth. “And I thought maybe, despite the blackmail, that we were getting somewhere, that I wasn’t alone, and maybe you could look at me…” His voice trailed off, and he gave a nervous shrug.

The redhead’s hand reached up and gently cupped Luke’s face in his palm. “And what?” he murmured.

“See me and think maybe I was worthy of…” His voice trailed off when he saw Reid shake his head.

“Or not,” he murmured and tried to work his way out of the doctor’s arms.

“That’s ridiculous…Luke.”

The blonde’s mouth fell open as all of his breath rushed out of his body. Despite hearing Reid call him by his first name before, this felt different. Everything with Dr. Oliver felt more, and Luke wanted to crawl into Reid’s arms and live there. It left him breathless and on edge, especially when Reid’s comment from earlier flashed through his mind, _“I’ve never even kissed you.”_

“Who you are drives me insane,” Reid admitted, but there was a smile tugging at his lips. “Hell, even the blackmail was a bit of a turn on.”

A small chuckled bubbled past the blonde’s lips.

“You go after what you want, I’m the same way. You’re tenacious and funny and loyal to a fault, Luke. You are nothing I ever expected and with anyone else, it would drive me crazy, but crazy with you is better than predictable with anyone else.”

“And you haven’t even kissed me yet,” Luke replied, a smile tugging at his lips. “Imagine…”

“I have,” Reid whispered. “Since the second or third time I ever laid eyes on you…”

Whatever breath Luke was able to pull back into his body left just as quickly as before. His hand reached up, his fingers working their way into the doctor’s hair. “Reid…”

With a groan, the doctor closed the distance between them. His lips crushed against Luke’s for a moment, their teeth smashed together. Reid was tired of waiting and denying himself this. He was tired of not getting what he wanted. Luke let out a soft gasp, separating and allowing themselves a moment to breathe, before his fingers tangled further into Reid’s hair, angling their heads, his tongue slipping between Reid’s lips. The redhead shuddered and his arms came up, snaking around Luke’s back, pulling him closer still.

Hesitantly they pulled apart, their foreheads and noses brushed against each other.

“Reid, what does…?”

“For once in my life, Luke, I don’t want to analyze the situation.”

Luke smiled and his hands moved across the Reid’s scalp. “So… you’re saying…”

“I have this room for the night. We can use it for whatever you want.”

The blonde swallowed thickly. He thought he would be more nervous, terrified in this moment. He knew what Reid was telling him. “I’m assuming you hate small talk.”

Reid smiled gently. “Luke, we don’t have to do anything you’re not ready for. Ask me whatever you want.”

Luke slowly walked them backwards until the back of his legs hit the bed. Reid stumbled and sat down next to him. “Maybe later…” he said before pulling Reid closer to him, capturing the doctor’s bottom lip between both of his.

 _~Fin~_


End file.
